The World Meteorological Organization has published a new report stating that the world has witnessed a record breaking series of extreme weather patterns during the first half of 2007. The United Nations organization said that global land surface temperatures from January to April were most likely the hottest since records began, and that it was difficult to predict what sort of weather we should expect in the latter half of the year. The report listed some of the unusual weather patterns, with record breaking heatwaves across Europe in April and May, followed by the worst flooding since records began. South Africa, Argentina and Chile experienced unusually cold weather last month. Floods in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Uruguay, Mozambique and China killed hundreds of people and displaced millions more. The Arabian Sea also witnessed the biggest storm in 60 years to hit the region, coming on the 40th anniversary of the Six Day War.

Quote: "There have also been severe monsoon floods across South Asia, abnormally heavy rains in northern Europe, China, Sudan, Mozambique and Uruguay, extreme heatwaves in southeastern Europe and Russia, and unusual snowfall in South Africa and South America this year, the WMO said. "The start of the year 2007 was a very active period in terms of extreme weather events," Omar Baddour of the agency's World Climate Program told journalists in Geneva.

The year 2005 entered the record books for the most hurricanes in one year. The year 2006 entered the record books for being the warmest in at least 2000 years. It looks like the year 2007 is already on record for being the wettest year in history. A couple of years ago, I was sitting with my work colleagues in a restaurant, and the topic happened to come around to the unusual weather. My friend Patricia said to me as a joke, I suppose you think all this bad weather means the end of the world is coming. I don't recall what my reply was. My work colleagues know I am a Christian, and Patricia does know the Gospel but is not saved. We've even had some conversations about the end times, but she believes that the end may come perhaps in her children's lifetime. And I guess that's the view most people take. They never think, what if the Lord returns in my lifetime? What if the events described in the book of Revelation unfold while I am alive? There was a time when the people of Israel thought the same, and they mocked the warnings of impending judgement...

Ezekiel 12:27-28
Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off. Therefore say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; There shall none of my words be prolonged any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.

The weather patterns do show us that the events spoken of regarding the last days are beginning to unfold. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has noted an increasing trend in extreme weather over the past fifty years - roughly from the time Israel became a nation. Certainly the world has always experienced extreme weather of one sort or another, but never before have all these prophetic events coalesced to form such a picture as we are seeing now. Christians need to be ready to meet their Lord, and sinners need to know their sins forgiven, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Will He be coming as Saviour to deliver you from the wrath to come, or will you be experiencing His righteous judgement in an increasingly ungodly world?

Source Reuters